What happened
On 21 September 2006, a Grob G115E, registration G-BYWC, was conducting a practice forced landing at Colerne Airfield in Wiltshire. The flight was being operated for training purposes. During the final approach to Runway 19, the aircraft was flying at a speed of 80 kt. At this stage of the flight, the pilot encountered significant crosswind conditions, with recorded winds of 18 kt from 150º and gusts reaching 2/30 kt.
As the pilot transitioned into the flare, a sudden gust of wind prevented the successful arrest of the aircraft's descent rate. Consequently, the aircraft made a heavy impact on the right main landing gear. Following the touchdown, the pilot managed to bring the aircraft to a halt on the runway. The crew and passenger both escaped the incident without injury.
The investigation
The investigation, prompted by the accident report submitted by the pilot, focused on the circumstances surrounding the touchdown. The examination of the aircraft revealed structural damage to the nose section and the right main landing gear. Additionally, the trailing edge of the right aileron and the right wingtip sustained damage as a result of the heavy landing.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the heavy landing on the right wheel caused by a gust of wind during the flare.
- The aircraft was operating in gusty crosswind conditions, with wind speeds gusting up to 30 kt.
- The impact was insufficient to cause any injuries to the occupants, though it resulted in significant damage to the airframe components.